There are seven stable isotopes of mercury (80 Hg) with 202 Hg being the most abundant (29.74%). The longest-lived radioisotopes are 194 Hg with a half-life of 447 years, and 203 Hg with a half-life of 46.61 days. Most of the remaining 40 radioisotopes have half-lives that are less than a day. The odd natural isotopes 199 Hg and 201 Hg are NMR-active , having spin of 1/2 and 3/2 respectively; as NMR is best with spin 1/2, the former is normally used.[ 4] All isotopes of mercury are either radioactive or observationally stable , meaning that they are predicted to be radioactive but no actual decay has been observed. These isotopes are predicted to undergo either alpha decay or double beta decay .
List of isotopes
Nuclide[ n 1]
Z
N
Isotopic mass (Da ) [ 5] [ n 2] [ n 3]
Half-life [ 1] [ n 4]
Decay mode [ 1] [ n 5]
Daughter isotope [ n 6]
Spin andparity [ 1] [ n 7] [ n 4]
Natural abundance (mole fraction)
Excitation energy[ n 4]
Normal proportion[ 1]
Range of variation
170 Hg
80
90
170.00581(32)#
310(250) μs
α
166 Pt
0+
171 Hg
80
91
171.00359(33)#
70(30) μs
α
167 Pt
3/2−#
172 Hg
80
92
171.99886(16)
231(9) μs
α
168 Pt
0+
173 Hg
80
93
172.99714(22)#
800(80) μs
α
169 Pt
(7/2−)
174 Hg
80
94
173.992871(21)
2.0(4) ms
α
170 Pt
0+
175 Hg
80
95
174.99144(9)
10.2(3) ms
α
171 Pt
(7/2−)
175m Hg
494(2) keV
340(30) ns
IT
175 Hg
(13/2+)
176 Hg
80
96
175.987349(12)
20.3(14) ms
α (90%)
172 Pt
0+
β+ (10%)
176 Au
177 Hg
80
97
176.98628(9)
117(7) ms
α
173 Pt
7/2−
177m Hg
323.2(13) keV
1.50(15) μs
IT
177 Hg
13/2+
178 Hg
80
98
177.982485(12)
266.5(24) ms
α (89%)
174 Pt
0+
β+ (11%)
178 Au
179 Hg
80
99
178.98182(3)
1.05(3) s
α (75%)
175 Pt
7/2−
β+ (25%)
179 Au
β+ , p (0.15%)
178 Pt
179m Hg
171.4(4) keV
6.4(9) μs
IT
179 Hg
13/2+
180 Hg
80
100
179.978260(14)
2.59(1) s
β+ (52%)
180 Au
0+
α (48%)
176 Pt
181 Hg
80
101
180.977819(17)
3.6(1) s
β+ (73%)
181 Au
1/2−
α (27%)
177 Pt
β+ , p (0.014%)
180 Pt
β+ , α (9×10−6 %)
177 Ir
181m Hg
210(50) keV
480(20) μs
IT
181 Hg
13/2+
182 Hg
80
102
181.974689(11)
10.83(6) s
β+ (86.2%)
182 Au
0+
α (13.8%)
178 Pt
β+ , p (<1×10−5 %)
181 Pt
183 Hg
80
103
182.974445(8)
9.4(7) s
β+ (88.3%)
183 Au
1/2−
α (11.7%)
179 Pt
β+ , p (2.6×10−4 %)
182 Pt
183m Hg
204(14) keV
>5# μs
13/2+#
184 Hg
80
104
183.971718(10)
30.87(26) s
β+ (98.89%)
184 Au
0+
α (1.11%)
180 Pt
185 Hg
80
105
184.971891(15)
49.1(10) s
β+ (94%)
185 Au
1/2−
α (6%)
181 Pt
185m Hg
103.7(4) keV
21.6(15) s
IT (54%)
185 Hg
13/2+
β+ (46%)
185 Au
α (0.03%)
181 Pt
186 Hg
80
106
185.969362(13)
1.38(6) min
β+ (99.98%)
186 Au
0+
α (0.016%)
182 Pt
186m Hg
2217.3(4) keV
82(5) μs
IT
186 Hg
(8−)
187 Hg
80
107
186.969814(14)
1.9(3) min
β+
187 Au
3/2−
187m Hg
58(14) keV
2.4(3) min
β+
187 Au
13/2+
188 Hg
80
108
187.967581(7)
3.25(15) min
β+
188 Au
0+
α (3.7×10−5 %)
184 Pt
188m Hg
2724.1(4) keV
142(14) ns
IT
188 Hg
12+
189 Hg
80
109
188.96819(3)
7.6(2) min
β+
189 Au
3/2−
189m Hg
80(30) keV
8.6(2) min
β+
189 Au
13/2+
190 Hg
80
110
189.966322(17)
20.0(5) min
β+
190 Au
0+
191 Hg
80
111
190.967158(24)
49(10) min
β+
191 Au
3/2−
191m Hg
128(22) keV
50.8(15) min
β+
191 Au
13/2+
192 Hg
80
112
191.965634(17)
4.85(20) h
EC
192 Au
0+
193 Hg
80
113
192.966653(17)
3.80(15) h
β+
193 Au
3/2−
193m Hg
140.76(5) keV
11.8(2) h
β+ (92.8%)
193 Au
13/2+
IT (7.2%)
193 Hg
194 Hg
80
114
193.965449(3)
447(28) y
EC
194 Au
0+
195 Hg
80
115
194.966706(25)
10.69(16) h
β+
195 Au
1/2−
195m Hg
176.07(4) keV
41.60(19) h
IT (54.2%)
195 Hg
13/2+
β+ (45.8%)
195 Au
196 Hg
80
116
195.965833(3)
Observationally Stable [ n 8]
0+
0.0015(1)
197 Hg
80
117
196.967214(3)
64.93(7) h
EC
197 Au
1/2−
197m Hg
298.93(8) keV
23.82(4) h
IT (94.68%)
197 Hg
13/2+
EC (5.32%)
197 Au
198 Hg
80
118
197.9667692(5)
Observationally Stable [ n 9]
0+
0.1004(3)
199 Hg
80
119
198.9682810(6)
Observationally Stable [ n 10]
1/2−
0.1694(12)
199m Hg
532.48(10) keV
42.67(9) min
IT
199 Hg
13/2+
200 Hg
80
120
199.9683269(6)
Observationally Stable [ n 11]
0+
0.2314(9)
201 Hg
80
121
200.9703031(8)
Observationally Stable [ n 12]
3/2−
0.1317(9)
201m Hg
766.22(15) keV
94.0(20) μs
IT
201 Hg
13/2+
202 Hg
80
122
201.9706436(8)
Observationally Stable [ n 13]
0+
0.2974(13)
203 Hg
80
123
202.9728724(18)
46.610(10) d
β−
203 Tl
5/2−
203m1 Hg
933.14(23) keV
22.1(10) μs
IT
203 Hg
(13/2+)
203m2 Hg
8281.3(5) keV
146(30) ns
IT
203 Hg
(53/2+)
204 Hg
80
124
203.9734940(5)
Observationally Stable [ n 14]
0+
0.0682(4)
204m Hg
7226.08(17) keV
~485 ns
IT
204 Hg
22+
205 Hg
80
125
204.976073(4)
5.14(9) min
β−
205 Tl
1/2−
205m1 Hg
1556.4(3) keV
1.09(4) ms
IT
205 Hg
13/2+
205m2 Hg
3316.6(8) keV
5.89(18) μs
IT
205 Hg
(23/2−)
206 Hg
80
126
205.977514(22)
8.32(7) min
β−
206 Tl
0+
Trace[ n 15]
206m1 Hg
2102.4(3) keV
2.088(17) μs
IT
206 Hg
5−
206m2 Hg
3722.3(10) keV
106(3) ns
IT
206 Hg
(10+)
207 Hg
80
127
206.98230(3)
2.9(2) min
β−
207 Tl
9/2+
208 Hg
80
128
207.98576(3)
135(10) s
β−
208 Tl
0+
208m Hg
1338(24) keV
99(14) ns
IT
208 Hg
(8+)
209 Hg
80
129
208.99076(16)#
6.3(11) s
β−
209 Tl
9/2+#
210 Hg
80
130
209.99431(22)#
64(12) s
β− (97.8%)
210 Tl
0+
β− , n (2.2%)
209 Tl
210m1 Hg
663(2) keV
2.1(7) μs
IT
210 Hg
(3−)
210m2 Hg
1406(23) keV
2(1) μs
IT
210 Hg
8+#
211 Hg
80
131
210.99958(22)#
26.4(81) s
β− (93.7%)
211 Tl
9/2+#
β− , n (6.3%)
210 Tl
212 Hg
80
132
212.00324(32)#
30# s [>300 ns]
0+
213 Hg
80
133
213.00880(32)#
15# s [>300 ns]
9/2+#
214 Hg
80
134
214.01264(43)#
8# s [>300 ns]
0+
215 Hg
80
135
215.01837(43)#
600# ms [>300 ns]
9/2+#
216 Hg
80
136
216.02246(43)#
2# s [>300 ns]
0+
This table header & footer:
^ m Hg – Excited nuclear isomer .
^ ( ) – Uncertainty (1σ ) is given in concise form in parentheses after the corresponding last digits.
^ # – Atomic mass marked #: value and uncertainty derived not from purely experimental data, but at least partly from trends from the Mass Surface (TMS).
^ a b c # – Values marked # are not purely derived from experimental data, but at least partly from trends of neighboring nuclides (TNN).
^
Modes of decay:
^ Bold symbol as daughter – Daughter product is stable.
^ ( ) spin value – Indicates spin with weak assignment arguments.
^ Believed to undergo β+ β+ decay to 196 Pt with a half-life over 2.5×1018 years; also theorized to undergo α decay to 192 Pt
^ Believed to undergo α decay to 194 Pt
^ Believed to undergo α decay to 195 Pt
^ Believed to undergo α decay to 196 Pt
^ Believed to undergo α decay to 197 Pt
^ Believed to undergo α decay to 198 Pt
^ Believed to undergo β− β− decay to 204 Pb
^ Intermediate decay product of 238 U
See also
Daughter products other than mercury
References
^ a b c d e Kondev, F. G.; Wang, M.; Huang, W. J.; Naimi, S.; Audi, G. (2021). "The NUBASE2020 evaluation of nuclear properties" (PDF) . Chinese Physics C . 45 (3) 030001. doi :10.1088/1674-1137/abddae .
^ "Standard Atomic Weights: Mercury" . CIAAW . 2011.
^ Prohaska, Thomas; Irrgeher, Johanna; Benefield, Jacqueline; Böhlke, John K.; Chesson, Lesley A.; Coplen, Tyler B.; Ding, Tiping; Dunn, Philip J. H.; Gröning, Manfred; Holden, Norman E.; Meijer, Harro A. J. (2022-05-04). "Standard atomic weights of the elements 2021 (IUPAC Technical Report)" . Pure and Applied Chemistry . doi :10.1515/pac-2019-0603 . ISSN 1365-3075 .
^ "Mercury NMR" .
^ Wang, Meng; Huang, W.J.; Kondev, F.G.; Audi, G.; Naimi, S. (2021). "The AME 2020 atomic mass evaluation (II). Tables, graphs and references*". Chinese Physics C . 45 (3) 030003. doi :10.1088/1674-1137/abddaf .
Group
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Period
Hydrogen and alkali metals
Alkaline earth metals
Pnictogens
Chalcogens
Halogens
Noble gases
①
1
2
②
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
③
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
④
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
⑤
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
⑥
55
56
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
⑦
87
88
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
⑧
119
120
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102